In the fluid control apparatus used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, integration which configures the fluid control apparatus without intermediary of a pipe or a joint by installing a line on which a plurality of fluid control instruments are arranged side by side and mounted on corresponding supporting members on a base member in a parallel pattern is now in development. In Patent Literature 1, utilization of a manifold block joint in such a fluid control apparatus is disclosed.
FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 illustrate a fluid control apparatus of the related art which is an intended apparatus of the fluid control apparatus of the present invention.
The fluid control apparatus of the related art includes a plurality of (only three of those are illustrated) lines (P1), (P2), (P3) as illustrated in FIG. 4.
Each of the lines (P1), (P2), (P3) includes a plurality of fluid control instruments (2), (3), (4) arranged on an upper stage and a plurality of joint members (6), (7), (8), (9) arranged on a lower stage to support each of the plurality of the fluid control instruments (2), (3), (4) as illustrated in FIG. 5. Each of the lines (P1), (P2), (P3) includes the three block joints (6), (7), (8) having V-shaped channels (6a), (7a), (8a) opening on the top surface respectively, and a manifold block joint (9) having a plurality of line-to-line connecting bifurcated channels (9a) opening on the top surface as the plurality of joint members (6), (7), (8), (9).
The fluid control instruments (2), (3), (4) are fixed to the corresponding joint members (6), (7), (8), (9) via bolts (10) respectively.
Each of the lines (P1), (P2), (P3) includes a mass flow controller (2), a three-way valve (3) arranged immediately upstream side of the mass flow controller (2), and a two-way valve (4) arranged immediately upstream side of the three-way valve (3) as the plurality of fluid control instruments (2), (3), (4), respectively.
The two-way valve (4) is provided with a gas inlet channel for process gas (4a) and a gas outlet channel for process gas (4b) opening respectively on a lower surface thereof, and the three-way valve (3) is provided with a gas inlet channel for process gas (3a), a purge gas inlet channel (3b), and an outlet channel (3c) common to both gases opening respectively on a lower surface thereof.
The three-way valves (3) are supported by the two block joints (7), (8) and part of the single manifold block joint (9) common to the three lines (P1), (P2), (P3). In this manner, the three-way valves (3) are supported by the three block joints (7), (8), (9) in total, and a channel portion for a three-way valve including a process gas inlet channel (7a), a purge gas inlet channel (9a), and an outlet channel (8a) common to both gases opening respectively on the top surface is formed by these block joints (7), (8), (9).
In the respective lines (P1), (P2), (P3) of the fluid control apparatus, as illustrated in FIG. 6, process gas channels each extending from the two-way valve (4) to the mass flow controller (2) via the three-way valve (3) and purge gas (for example, N2 gas) channels each extending from the inlet channel for purge gas (9a) of the manifold block joint (9) to the mass flow controller (2) via the three-way valve (3) are formed.